3 Tips That Will Make Your Week More Productive

There are a lot of things you can do to be productive and successful every week. Here are three ways that I have found help me have a good week.

These three things have been scientifically proven to increase your productivity.

As a graphic designer, I have made myself countless different daily, weekly, monthly planning pages. I have also used several from May Designer, Day Designer, and simpler ones I have found at Target. None of those were bad, actually at different times they have been great but recently I’ve just needed something different. Below you can get my daily AND weekly printouts. There are also some freebies in the shop to help you with your to do list!

The key to planning for productivity is to test and see what works for YOU.

BLOCKS OF TIME

This is important for creative and tasks where you need a lot of focus. In your time block, you have to disconnect, close your office door, mark yourself unavailable, and know what your goal for the block is.

You really only need a one or two of these a week, you’d be amazed at what you can get done in a 3 hour block where you are disconnected.

Helpful hint: Start small, especially if working in an office, with a team, or have kids. Maybe 2 one-hour blocks per week, and work your way up.

MORNING • AFTERNOON • EVENING

In Daniel Pink’s book When he talks about how everyone has a daily peak, trough, and recovery. For about 85% of the population, it is in that order. For reference, your trough hits usually around 7 hours after you wake up.

Scientifically, he states these are the kinds of tasks you should do in each, to maximize productivity and good work.

PEAK (Morning, for majority)- Analytic tasks, requires “sharpness, vigilance, and focus” and little to no creativity

TROUGH (Early Afternoon)- This is proven to be the most detrimental time of time for focus and productivity. In order to “counteract” that take a break, eat lunch away from your desk with a friend, not talking about work. Or unplug and take a 15 minute walk outside. This will set you up for a great afternoon.

RECOVERY (Later Afternoon/Evening) - Once you’ve given your body and brain a break, the recovery period is best for your most creative and innovative work.

PLAN YOUR REST • Make it a priority

If you’re anything like me, you would work all the time. And when you aren’t “working” you’re planning for work. Now sometimes I simply can’t turn this off, always coming up with new ideas for blog or business or design client.

BUT it is vitally important to disconnect from work and recharge not only monthly and weekly, but daily. Start by putting a 30 minute break on your calendar every day, work up from there.

Make your rest intentional. I hang out with my husband, my friends, go on walks, eat out, do fun things that don’t have anything to do with my job. Sometimes, I lay around the house all day on a Saturday, you rest is up to you!